1. Field of the Invention
With reference to the classification of art as established in and by the U.S. Patent Office the present invention is believed to be found in the general class entitled, "Conveyors, Power Driven" (Class 198) and the several subclasses therein and entitled, "Conveyor for Changing Attitude of Item Relative to Conveyed Direction" (subclass 373) and the further subclass entitled, "by conveying randomly faced items and turning items to uniform facing" (subclass 382) and in the subclass thereunder entitled, "by conveying an item that has a position characteristic and rotating the item until it is positioned" (subclass 394) and in the subclass entitled "with control means actuated in response to sensing of improperly faced item" (subclass 395) and in the subclass entitled, "by turning only improperly faced items to uniform facing" (subclass 399).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The turning of a container or can as it is moved forwardly is not new and is often done accidently or deliberately. In the advancing of containers with bails it is often desirable that the can or container be positioned in and with a determined attitude for the placing of a label on the container. The placing of a label or positioning of a can or container is often in conjunction with the placing of the can or container in a carton. These cans or containers are most often precisely positioned for insertion into an erected carton. The rotation of an eared container is shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,241,578 as issued Mar. 22, 1966. Forming and filling of a carton by eared and bailed containers was shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,394 as issued Nov. 19, 1974 and in related patents.
The several patents and the classification of art in powered conveyors provide ample indications that the rotating of an eared container is neither a new or unusual requirement. The present apparatus, to be more fully described hereinafter, carries the eared container to a rotating apparatus at a given distance from apparatus for applying a bail. The apparatus in this patent application is adapted to ascertain the presence of a bail and that said bail is properly applied, after which the desired orientation of the container is determined by an electric eye. Those containers that are in the desired position are delivered to further operations, such as label application, after which the bailed and labeled container is delivered to a case packer or the like.